Microheterogeneity of alpha-1 acid glycoprotein in rheumatoid arthritis: dependent on disease duration?

Article Abstract:

The microheterogeneity of alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (AGP) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) appears to vary with disease duration. Microheterogeneity refers to the diversity of sugar chains that attach to a protein. AGP's reactivity with lectin concanavalin (Con A) is used as a measure of its microheterogeneity. AGP-Con A reactivity is elevated in patients with acute inflammation such as those with bacterial infections or burns but has been observed to drop in patients with chronic inflammatory conditions including rheumatoid arthritis. Blood samples were taken from 50 patients with recent onset arthritis. AGP reactivity was highest in patients with the shortest disease duration and decreased with disease duration. The increased reactivity in early stage RA is similar to that seen in patients with acute bacterial infections, suggesting RA begins as an acute inflammation and then switches into the chronic phase sometime in the first year of disease.

Glycoproteins, Cytokines

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Thyroid dysfunction in rheumatoid arthritis: a controlled prospective survey

Article Abstract:

Women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may have a three times higher risk of impaired thyroid gland function than those with a non-inflammatory rheumatic disease such as fibromyalgia or osteoarthritis. RA is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the joints. Among 184 women in whom thyroid gland function was evaluated over a six-month period, 91 had RA and 93 had fibromyalgia or osteoarthritis. Thirty percent of the women with RA had signs of impaired thyroid gland function, compared with 11% of the women with a non-inflammatory rheumatic disease. Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's thyroiditis were responsible for the higher incidence of impaired thyroid gland function among women with RA.

Risk factors, Thyroid diseases

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